Liquid cleaning device



July 28, 1953 c. J. SCHICHTL 2,646,888

LIQUID CLEANING DEVICE Filed NOV. 10, 1949 KShBGtS-Shfit 1 38 J 7 I I l5k INVENTOR BY W.

ATTORNEYS.

July 28, 1953 c. J. SCHICHTL LIQUID CLEANING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Nov. 10. 194

ATTORNEYS July 28, 1953 c. J. SCHICHTL LIQUID CI.EANING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nqv. 10, 1949 INVENTOR A'I'IORNEYS.

Patented July 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID CLEANINGDEVICE Clarence J. Schichtl, Yakima, Wash.

Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,602

2 Claims.

By way of explanation, it might be stated that due to the small nozzlesused in sprinkling systems used in sprinkling of farm lands, the nozzlesfrequently become clogged by foreign matter carried into the nozzles bythe water, which usually is' supplied from irrigating ditches, streams,rivers, lakes or the like.

It is therefore imperative, that the water entering the sprinkler headsbe freed of foreign matter or solids which contribute to the cloggedcondition of the sprinkler nozzles, and in view of the fact that in theusual agricultural sprinkling systems, water has to be pumped underpressure to operate the sprinkler heads, and since the sprinklers of asystem discharge from two gallons per minute to ten gallons per minuteor more, it is obvious that only a small amount of water under pressurecan be used to keep the usual screening cylinder clean, which is used inscreening the water prior to its entrance to the nozzles of the system,mainly because of the cost of producing the necessary pressure and dueto erosion and wear on the screened surface of the screening member, dueto a continuous flow of liquid from jets which are usually employed incleaning the screen.

Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide ascreening means for screening the water prior to its entrance into thepipes of the sprinkling nozzles, the cleaning means being operatedintermittently, relieving the screen of the excessive Wear anddeterioration due to pressure from cleaning nozzles continuouslydirecting streams of water onto the screen.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a screeningdevice of this character wherein the working parts are so arranged thatthey will not be subjected to the deteriorating effects of the mud andWater within which the screen is operating, to the end that the life ofthe apparatus is increased.

Another object of the invention is to provide means within the screeningmember in the form of a wire mesh basket, for catching the solids orforeign matter screened from the water, so that the solids or foreignmatter may be readily removed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring. to the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational View of ascreening device, constructed in accordance with the inventiom Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4- 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the nozzle carriage. I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a fragmental detail view, illustrating the means for rotatingthe cylindrical screen of the cleaner.

Fig. 3 is an elevational detail view illustrating the type of pawl usedin rotating the cylinder.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a frameembodying parallel side bars 5 constructed preferably of angle barmaterial, the side bars 5 being connected at points adjacent to theirends, by means of the end bars 6 and I. At the rear end of the bodyportion or frame, are vertical supporting legs 8 also constructed ofangle bar material.

At the forward end of the body portion or frame, is the plate 9 thatcloses the front end of the body portion or frame, with the exception ofthe circular opening l0, formed therein;

The plate 9 is provided with a forwardly extended upper flange I Isecured to the end bar 6, and to this flange II, are bolted thedepending bearing arms l2 which provide supports for the wheels [3 thatextend inwardly, on the stub shafts I4.

The free ends of the arms ii. are held in spaced relation with respectto each other, by means of the bar I 5, which is shown as weldedthereto.

At the rear end of the body portion or frame, is the bearing arm itwhich hangs from the frame, the arm it having the bearing ll at itslower end, in which the shaft [8 secured to the disc [9, operates. Thisdisc l9 closes one end of the screening cylinder 20 which embodies aforward ring 2H connected with the disc 19, by means of the spaced rodsor bars 22 to which the wire mesh material 23 is secured. Extendingforwardly from the plate 9 and arranged in circular formation, is thegasket 24 providing a seal between the ring 2| and wall of the openingformed in the plate 9, to exclude water, solids and foreign matter.

Supported within the screening cylinder, at a point adjacent to theupper portion thereof, is the basket 24 that has its open side disposedupwardly to permit foreign matter to fall thereinto, when swept off by ajet of water from the traveling nozzle. This basket is constructed ofwire mesh material allowing the water to drain therefrom. As shown, thebasket is supported be-- tween angle bars 25 which provide a rest forthe basket to permit the basket to be readily and easily removed anddumped of its contents.

The end bar 1 disposed at the rear end of the body portion or frame, isprovided with an opening disposed at a point intermediate its ends,which opening accommodates the piston rod 26 that operates in thecylinder 21 that is formed with the flange 28 at its forward end, theflange 28 being connected to the upstanding flange of the end bar l", asshown by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. The piston, not shown, isconnected with the end of the piston rod 26, and operates in thecylinder 21.

Extending longitudinally of the body portion or frame, and disposedintermediate the end bars 6 and I, is the track 28, which is of I beamconstruction, that is connected at its ends with the bars 6 and i, theopen sides of the i beam being disposed upwardly and downwardly.

The reference character 23 indicates a carriage which embodies spacedupper and lower plates 3t and 3| respectively, between which plates, thewheels 32 operate, the wheels moving over opposite side edges of thetrack, as clearly shown by Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The piston rod 29 has pivotal connection with the carriage 29 at 33, sothat as the piston rod 25 operates, the carriage will be movedlongitudinally of its track.

This carriage 29 provides a support for the spraying nozzle 34 thatdirects a stream of water against the deflector plate 35 which issecured to the carriage 29, and so arranged that the stream of waterstriking the deflector plate, will be deflected from the outer to theinner surface of the screening cylinder.

The hose 36 is connected with the nozzle 3% and passes from the pipe 3?,to deliver water from the pipe 31 to the nozzle. This pipe 31 connectswith the valve 38 that also connects with the pipe 39 that enters theouter end of the cylinder 2?, as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings. Thevalve 38 provides means whereby the flow of water through the pipe 39may be cut off, if desired.

Connected with the carriage 28, is the flexible cable 40 which operatesover the pulley i! mounted on the end bar i, from where it passesdownwardly and connects with the weight 42 with the result that when thecarriage moves forwardly, to the limit of its movement, and the waterpressure in the cylinder is released, the weight will operate to returnthe carriage to the position as shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, or theinitial position of the carriage.

The pipe 31 connects with the pipe 4-3 which in turn is connected with asuitable source of water supply. Mounted within the pipe a3, is thevertically movable valve 44 which is of the type provided with a springto normally urge the valve to its closed position, after operation. Astem 45 of the valve 44, extends vertically, and is engaged by the arm43 which is pivotally mounted at the upper end of the bracket 41 that issecured to the bar 48 extending forwardly from the motor supportingplate 49 mounted on the frame, and on which the motor 58 is secured.Secured to a shaft of the reduction gearing 53', is the eccentric 6| towhich the arm 52 is connected, the arm 52 having an elongated opening 53in which the pin 54 is secured, the pin 54 providing a bearing for themember 55 mounted on the upper end of the ratchet arm 56, the ratchetarm 56 having the ratchet tooth 51 at its free end, which tooth engagesthe teeth 58 of the ring 59 that is secured at the forward end of thescreening cylinder. Guard plates 50 are secured at opposite sides of thefree end of the ratchet arm 56 and prevent lateral movement of theratchet arm with respect to the ring 59.

The eccentric 54 operates in contact with the arm to depress the armwith each rotation of the arm 52, resulting in the valve stem d5 of thevalve M being moved downwardly, opening the valve and allowing a volumeof water to pass through the pipes of the system, to supply the nozzle34 as well as the cylinder 2?, with water.

In the operation of the device, the device is positioned in a stream orin the body of water which may be a ditch, the body portion of thedevice being arranged so that the open end of the screening cylinderwill be disposed upstream, the water to be screened, passing directlyinto the screening cylinder and through the screening material of whichthe cylinder is formed. The screened water may now be pumped or .irectedthrough pipes leading to sprinkler heads of an irrigating system, notshown, in the usual and well known manner.

The motor 363 is set in motion, with the result that the ratchet arm 56will operate to engage the teeth of the ratchet ring 59. W ith eachrotation of the eccentric 5!, the ratchet arm 53 will move the ratchetring 59 and screening cylinder, the distance equal to the length of aratchet tooth or teeth of the ratchet wheel. With this movement, the cam5i will move the arm is downwardly, opening the valve 44 and releasing aquantity of water to the hose 35 through which the water is directed tothe nozzle 35 and from which the water is directed against the deflectorplate 35, which deflects the spray of water onto the outer surface ofthe wire mesh cylinder directly above the basket 24, flushing anyforeign matter from the cylinder into said basket to maintain the meshopen so that the purpose of the invention can be accomplished. It willalso be noted that as the water is directed into the hose 3%, a quantityof the water will pass through the pipe 39 and into the cylinder 2?,operating the piston within the cylinder to move the carriage 29longitudinally of its track 23, to the end that the water sprayed intothe cylinder, will be distributed throughout the length of the cylinder.

When the carriage 29 reaches the limit of its movement towards theentrance end of the screening cylinder, the weight 32 will act to returnthe carriage to its initial position, the piston in the cylinder 21,operating to force the water in the cylinder from the cylinder,returning the water through the pipe 39 and through the hose 3% to thnozzle 34.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shownand described, I have provided means whereby the water to be sprayedthrough irrigating or sprinkling nozzles of an irrigating system, willbe freed of all solids and foreign matter which would otherwise passinto the nozzles to clog the spraying openings thereof.

It will further be seen that the operation of the device is automatic,in that when the carriage which supports the spray nozzle, reaches theforward end of the screening cylinder, it will be immediately returnedand the operation will be repeated, maintaining the screening cylinderclean.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A screening device of the class described, comprising a frame adaptedto be positioned in a stream of water, a horizontally disposed shaftmounted on the frame, a revoluble cylindrical screening member mountedon said shaft, a disc closing one end of the revoluble cylindricalscreening member, the opposite end of the screening member being open,through which water is directed to the screening member, the waterpassing through the mesh of said screening member, a water-sprayingnozzle mounted exterioriy of said screening member above said screeningmem her, through which water is directed to the screening member as thescreening member rotates, flushing foreign matter from the mesh of thescreening member, a wire screen basket extending longitudinallythroughout the length of the screening member suspended within the upperportion of the screening member around which the screening memberrotates, into which inaterial falls from said screening member, meansfor rotating the cylinder, and means for moving the spraying nozzlelongitudinally of the cylinder.

2. A screening device of the class described,

providing a frame adapted to be positioned in a stream of water, arotatable horizontal cylindrical screening member mounted within saidframe, a disc closing one end of the screening member, the opposite endof the screening member being open, through which Water is directed tothe screening member, the Water passing through the mesh of saidscreening member, screening the water, a water spraying nozzle movablelongitudinaliy or" the screening member flushing foreign matter from themesh of the screening member, and a wire mesh basket supported Withinthe upper portion of the cylinder directly under said Water spray nozzleinto which foreign material is flushed from the mesh of said screeningmember.

CLARENCE J. SCHICI-ITL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 920,909 Brewer May 11, 1909 1,357,499 Hunt Nov. 2, 19201,445,007 Davis Feb. 13, 1923 1,717,604 Haug et al June 18, 19291,768,314 Folta June 24, 1930 2,196,793 Hall Apr. 9, 1940

